All posts filed under: Spring

There has been a very strong obsession with rosé wine lately. The phrase “Rosé All Day” has become a mantra of many millenials who enjoy sipping on this tasty pink beverage. This phrase has been emblazoned across shirts, phone cases, and even swimsuits (lol) and everyone is just drinking it up! While it’s a little obnoxious, and basic AF, there truly is a lot to celebrate with this delicious type of wine. Rosé is produced in three ways. The first and most common way to make rosé is through maceration. In this process, red grapes are placed into the white wine and are left so sit and macerate for a period of time. The red colour from the grapes bleed out into the wine, producing a pink colour. It’s basically like letting a teabag steep in a cup of water. The longer the red grapes sit in the wine, the darker the colour gets. The second way to make rosé is to blend the wine. In this process, red wine is simply added to a …

You guys, I’m literally crying. I just created this recipe for Herb-Stuffed Pork Loin and I am just over the moon. This salty, porky, herby roast is heaven and you definitely have to try this this spring! We picked up a large pork loin at Costco a few weeks ago for a really good price (I know, I know….Costco isn’t always local…but for this price, we couldn’t pass it up). We sliced the loin up into various pieces, making sure to save 2 large portions for roasts. Typically, I make pork loin in the fall with stewed apples and onions and various fall spices such as cinnamon and cloves, but I was just inkling to make a tasty summer pork loin roast for us. When I think of spring, one of the first things that comes to mind is herbs. Parsley definitely comes first, followed by oregano and basil (more of summer herbs). But then out of the blue came sage (a fall/winter herb) and I knew I was on to something. Herbs + pork…maybe …

Patio season has finally arrived in Vancouver! After the long and rainy spring that we had this year, I think that everyone is the city is happy that the sun and warm weather is back. I know I sure am! To celebrate the start of Patio Season (and to start pre-gaming for summer!), I have come up with a special “Patio Series” theme for my blog this June! Every Friday, I will be posting a special cocktail that you can make to kick off the weekend. These recipes feature local and seasonal ingredients- right down to the alcohol. Yes, you read that right! Vancouver has a wonderful distillery and craft beer scene which I am going to take full advantage of 🙂 As a bonus, I will be posting a few extra cocktail recipes in throughout the month of June (i.e. not just on Friday’s) so keep your eyes open for them! To kick off the start of the series, I present my Rhubarb Collins, a spring-like play on a Tom Collins. A regular Tom Collins …

Lots of people wonder where I learned to cook so well. Here’s the truth: I got it from my mama!… and my grandma too! My mom and my grandma are two of the best cooks that I know. They have always cooked the most amazing, and most flavourful food. One of their secrets is to buy the best ingredients available. So even if this means spending a bit more money, they will do it because they know the food will be that much better and they know people will remember them for it. Another one of their secrets (and one that works so well that it is the main focus of this blog) is to buy local food wherever available. I remember going to pick strawberries as a kid just outside of Mississauga, Ontario to make jam, or driving through Niagara to get fresh peaches and plums in the summer to make a fruit pie, and going to Hazel Ontario to get smoked pork chops, corn, and lots of cheese for a hearty fall meal. …

Of all the delicious spring vegetables that are in season right now, the gorgeous globe artichoke is one of my favourites. Not only do they taste amazing when cooked, I love the springy, flower-like look of them in general. When uncooked, the tightly packed, overlapping leaves on the artichoke looks like a budding flower, and then when it’s all cooked, the leaves open up and it looks like it has magically bloomed. So cute! If you have ever heard the saying “With every rose comes its thorns”, this definitely applies to the artichoke…almost literally. The most prized part of the artichoke is the heart. When cooked, it is soft, creamy and meaty and is definitely the reward of the vegetable. But in order to get to the heart, you have to get passed the prickly leaves and spiny thistle inside of it. At the center of the artichoke, there is a thistle called the “choke”. My grandma (who is Maltese) always used to say that if you ate the “choke” you would choke. I was …

I. Can. Not. Wait. To. Dive. Into. This. Easter. Dinner. I am so excited to eat all of this delicious food, but I especially can’t wait to get me a juicy slice of my Easter Ham. It is definitely my pride and joy this year. While ham recipes can be very complex (I’ve heard of some that take over 7 hours to make and require you to tend to the ham’s every need), this recipe is the easiest and quickest way I know to make a ham. While it does look impressive all decorated and what not, I can tell you that it only took me 1 hour to make and….it’s only 5 ingredients. Ya… that’s right. The combination of Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, smoky cloves and sweet pineapple give the ham a complex smoky, spicy, tangy, sweet and salty flavour all at the same time. If you can’t imagine what that tastes like, it’s literally heaven. Serve this delicious ham with your favourite veggies and everyone will think you are a superstar! See the full …

After the long and dreary winter we had this year, I am so happy that spring has finally arrived in Vancouver! If you look around the city, you can see that the tell-tale signs of spring have started popping up all over the place. The daffodils and crocuses have bloomed, the rhododendrons and cherry blossoms are on their way, the birds have started singing again, and we have already had a few days of +10°C weather. Some Vancouverites are even ahead of the game and have busted out their shorts and skirts and have already started enjoying patio season. No, I’m not kidding. But after having suffered through 5 major (and really uncommon) snowstorms this winter, I really can’t blame them for taking advantage of our nice spring weather. I myself have been enjoying the start of spring as well. While I may not be outside in my shorts sipping sangria on a patio, I have been busting out some spring cleaning and doing some major re-organizing. I honestly cannot tell you how happy I …